Broken Down Cowboys with Cranberry Sweet Dreams
by hazelmom
Summary: The team's holiday plans change when a Chief Petty Officer's children are kidnapped. Written for the SeSa on NFA for Ladyofnite.
1. Chapter 1

**Broken Down Cowboys with Cranberry Sweet Dreams**

Gibbs looked up in surprise as a familiar laugh erupted. He stood up and saw DiNozzo escorting his father from the elevator.

The old man caught his eye. "Leroy!"

"Dad, what you are doing here?"

"I said I was coming for Christmas."

"No, I told you that I was coming to Stillwater."

Jackson Gibbs made a face. "I'm tired of staring at those old walls. Besides I got a kid who's doing a bang up job watching the store. I'm starting to feel obsolete."

Gibbs hustled him into a chair while DiNozzo stood there fingering the box Jackson had handed him. "You shouldn't be here. I gotta' work, Dad."

"I'll just sit here."

"I know you. You'll try to help. McGee almost had a heart attack the last time you were here."

"I was trying to help him file things. Boy is way too buttoned up."

Gibbs regarded him with some suspicion. "You can sit there, Dad, but you're not an employee. You can't touch case files. I'll drive you home in an hour."

"I have my own damn car. How do you think I got here?"

"Cookies!" DiNozzo had the box open. "Your lady friends are the best."

"Where are you going for Christmas, Tony?"

Tony looked at Jackson while he munched on a frosted cutout. "I'm meeting my dad in Monaco."

"Monaco?! That's that country that kidnapped Grace Kelly and turned her into a queen. Refused to let her come home and make movies."

Tony frowned. "That's not exactly how I remember it."

"What do you know? Probably weren't even born when it happened. I'd tell you to be careful over there, but you ain't purty enough to catch a nobleman's eye."

"Uh…okay."

The elevator opened and McGee and Ziva emerged. Tony immediately tried to hide the box of cookies behind his back, but McGee spotted him. He zeroed in on Tony. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

Ziva brushed past the two of them, beaming. "Jackson, it is so good to see you."

"Now, you'd be in danger of getting kidnapped if you went to Monaco."

"Excuse me?"

"Give me a hug, Ziva. It's been awhile." He pulled her in and kissed her soundly on the cheek.

"Hi Mr. Gibbs," McGee said before grabbing at the container of cookies Tony was holding out of his reach.

Tony held it high. "You can't have any. Boss says you're putting on weight."

"Boss!" McGee complained as Tony fended off his advances.

Jackson looked up at his son. "Seriously?"

"You have no idea, Dad," Gibbs said rolling his eyes. DiNozzo, put the cookies down!"

Tony reluctantly put the cookies down on Ziva's desk, and McGee quickly swooped in and picked a cookie out of the container and headed to his desk. "I'm not putting on weight. I'm putting on muscle."

"Where are you headed for Christmas this year, Miss Ziva?"

She looked up from her desk. "I'm going to Tel Aviv for a week. Christmas is not a holiday for me, but I would like to spend some time with my father."

"Good for you! People should be with family on the holidays. And you, McGee? Are you off to see your family?"

McGee blinked. "Uh…my parents will be in Okinawa. Sarah is going. I'll spend time with Penny, my grandmother."

"You call your grandmother by her first name?"

"She's sort of unique."

Tony cocked his head. "Hey McGee, you told me that Penny was in Brussels for a conference until New Year's."

"Well…uh, she's coming back for a couple of days."

Tony shook his head. "You are the worst liar, McGee."

McGee shrugged. "Okay, so she's not going to be around. Still, it'll be nice to have a couple of quiet days by myself. Maybe I'll come in and just catch up on some paperwork."

"Sounds like a great Christmas, McGrinch."

"Tony, stop teasing him," Ziva said.

Jackson shook his head. "Tim, you're not doing any kind of paperwork on Christmas. It's not right. You'll spend it with Leroy and me."

McGee's eyes widened. "No, I couldn't impose."

"Nonsense! You'll join us. Tell him, Leroy."

Gibbs nodded. "McGee, I'm afraid that this is not a battle you're going to win. You're coming over for Christmas."

Jackson looked at his son. "We're working on toys, right?"

Gibbs nodded.

"Then you need to bring an overnight bag tomorrow, Tim. We'll be up most of the evening finishing toys before Christmas Eve."

"Afraid I can't do that. I would have to leave my German Shepherd alone."

"Love dogs! What's its name?"

McGee flushed. "It's a boy. His name is…uh, Jethro."

"Huh?"

"Long story, Dad."

"Bring the dog with you."

McGee looked at Gibbs. "Give up, Tim. He's as stubborn as they come. Bring the dog to work tomorrow and a go bag. We'll be staying up all night tomorrow night painting toys. I'll teach you to drink bourbon while dad regales you with stories about what a pain in the ass kid I was."

"No!"

Everyone looked at Ziva who was frowning at her computer screen. She looked up. "The blizzard they were forecasting is coming in early."

"When?" Tony stood.

"Snow should be starting tomorrow night, Thursday, after midnight."

"Oh man! My flight is on Friday morning."

"As is mine."

Gibbs sighed. "Balboa takes call tomorrow at 5 p.m. If you can get an earlier flight and we have nothing urgent, I'll let the two of you out of here by noon."

"Thanks Boss!"

….

"Jethro!" Abby yelled when she saw Tim and the old shepherd. She'd been waiting in the bullpen for them the next morning. The dog's tail started swinging when he saw her, and Tim let go of the leash so the old shepherd could run at her.

Abby hugged him tightly, scratching his furry shoulders. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"Whose fault is that?" McGee said as he set up at his desk.

"I know. I've been busy lately."

"You going to see family for Christmas?"

She looked up. "Yeah."

He smiled at her. "Your brother and his family will be happy to have you, Abs."

"I heard that my tiny Tim is on his own this year. If I'd gotten to you first, you'd be spending the holiday with me."

"Kind of glad you didn't, Abs. You know how shy I get around people I don't know. It'll be awkward enough to spend two days over at the boss' house. I'm going to run out of things to say after the first fifteen minutes."

The dog lay long on the floor, his legs curled in the air, while she massaged his belly. "You'll have a good time with Gibbs. He's really different when he's at home."

"I've never really been there except for work."

"You'll see."

Tony came in to the bullpen, and almost stepped on Jethro, terrifying both him and the dog. Jethro leapt to his feet barking wildly while Tony swung his backpack in front of him to fend him off. "Call off your beast, McGee!"

"Come Jethro!" As if pulled by an invisible string, the dog turned and immediately trotted over to McGee, lying down at his feet. The shepherd's wary brown eyes stayed focused on Tony.

"He hates me."

"You startled him, Tony," Abby explained.

Tony shook his head. "He's always watching me. Shows his teeth when I go over to McGee's place. Growls whenever McGee leaves the room."

"You're always teasing him, making weird noises to see what he does. Remember the time you tied a balloon to his collar, and he ran crazy all over the apartment trying to get away from it. He didn't like that, and Jethro never forgets."

Sounds like he's got your number, Tony," Ziva said as she came in. She put down her things, and went over to McGee's desk making kissing noises at Jethro. The dog jumped up and licked her face.

"Well, keep Cujo away from me today."

Ziva scratched his ears. "I pray we have a quiet day. I'm on standby for a flight at 6 p.m."

"Me too. I got standby for an 8 p.m. flight," Tony said as he walked warily around Jethro to get files off Gibbs' desk.

"There will be other Christmases, DiNozzo," Gibbs said as he walked in. "Call out."

…..

They stood and watched Ducky as he checked the liver temp on the woman stabbed to death on her bed. She appeared to be in her early fifties. There were stab wounds all over her torso, and defensive wounds on her hands and forearms. Blood streaked the bed everywhere. Near the pillow was a bloody handprint that made them pause. It was from a tiny hand, the hand of a small child.

McGee looked up from his fingerprint scanner. "It's a match. This is Louisa Garza, mother to Chief Petty Officer Lorena Garza Beckett. She was the guardian to the Chief Petty Officer's three children while she was deployed."

Gibbs turned his head sharply when DiNozzo walked in. "What does the neighbor know?"

"She got a call from Beckett this morning asking her to check on her mother and kids. Said that she'd been trying to reach her for over a day, and no one was picking up. That's when the neighbor found this horror show."

"What does she know about the kids?"

"The oldest is Scotty. He's seven years old, and then there are twins, Eddie and Ellie, four years old. The neighbor says she saw them playing in the courtyard just yesterday afternoon. She says they seemed fine."

"Any trouble?"

"Oh yeah. The soon to be ex-husband and father of the kids, Scott Beckett, was denied custody and visitation of the children last year after a domestic violence incident that left Lorena Beckett in the hospital with a broken jaw and a concussion."

Gibbs shook his head. "What do we know about Scott Beckett?"

McGee peered at his phone. "Also a Chief Petty Officer: he was dishonorably discharged from the Navy last year after the domestic assault. He is currently out on bail pending other charges related to theft while he was in the quartermaster corps."

Ziva held up a cell phone. "Mrs. Garza's cell phone shows numerous angry texts from Scott Beckett over the last couple of days. He was demanding time with them over Christmas beyond what the court stipulated."

Tony walked the length of the house from the front door to the bedroom. "I think one of the kids let him in. The front door hasn't been breeched. Mrs. Garza and at least one of the kids retreated to the bedroom."

Gibbs fingered the broken hinges on the bedroom door. "He had to kick the door in to get at her."

McGee pointed at the tiny handprint on the bed. "There's no way to tell if the kid on the bed with her was hurt or if that's the grandmother's blood."

Ducky shook his head. "There is no trail of blood out the door which you might expect to find if he harmed any of the children."

Ziva looked at the blood spatter on the ceiling. "This was a vicious attack. It's hard to believe that any parent would allow their children to witness this."

"It's about revenge. He thinks he's been unfairly denied his children, and he wants payback. Getting his kids back is secondary. He doesn't really care about anything but himself," Gibbs said shaking his head. "We gotta' find those kids."

…

The Chief Petty Officer hugged her middle tightly during Gibbs' report. On the screen in MTAC, she appeared larger than life, and the team could clearly see how her fingers trembled against her stomach. She couldn't maintain eye contact with the screen, and seemed lost as if struggling to track the events happening in front of her. The team had seen this state of shock many times after telling someone that they'd lost a loved one, but it never got easy to see someone in the grips of such agony. Behind her stood her CO, and he directed the next question at Gibbs. "What kind of resources do you have out there looking for the Petty Officer's children?"

"We have an Amber Alert issued. Every law enforcement agency in three states is on alert. We're taking this very seriously. Ma'am, has your…ex-husband ever been violent with the children?"

She shook her head. "He always took it out on me. He was impatient with them most of the time; acted like their play was designed to annoy him, but I always believed he loved them. I don't believe that anymore."

The CO put a hand on her shoulder. "We can get the Petty Officer on a transport in two hours. One of my people has offered to give her his seat, but she won't get home until tomorrow morning early. Hope to hell you can find that bastard by then so she can be with her children for Christmas Eve, Special Agent Gibbs. This woman has been doing important work for her country, and she deserves the best we can offer her."

Gibbs nodded. "I'm in full agreement, Commander, and you can be assured that we're working very hard on this. Ma'am, can you think of anyone your ex-husband would turn to at a time like this?"

She swallowed, her eyes wet. "His brother Willie. The two of them are inseparable."

"Do you think he would break the law for his brother?"

"Oh yeah. If anyone knows anything, it's Willie. Please find them!"

"We're on it, Ma'am."

She worked her mouth for a moment before speaking. "My children were very close to my mother especially Ellie. She followed my mom everywhere. They…must be so scared…please…"

She bent over at the waist unable to hold her emotion any longer, and her CO led her to a chair. He turned back to the screen. "You have 24 hours before I send my own people back home to take care of this for you."

"You're not going to have to do that, skipper. We'll be in touch." Gibbs turned and signaled for the feed to be cut.

Tony shook his head. "That means no Christmas for us."

Gibbs glared. "That a problem for you?"

"Nope."

Ziva cleared her throat, her eyes moist. "Bringing her children home to her will be enough of a holiday for me."

She grabbed DiNozzo by the arm. "Let's go make some calls."

They passed Leon Vance on the way out. He stood at the top of the stairs, arms folded, looking down at Gibbs. "You need anything, and I make it happen. You understand?"

"Thinking about those kids?"

"That woman is living my biggest nightmare; a nightmare you understand only too well."

"Go home, Leon. Be with your kids. There should never be any regrets. I can do this."

"I got time. Let's get Fornell on the phone. That man's got more contacts than a call girl."

…..

A smile started on Gibbs' face when the familiar face appeared out of the elevator. Fornell looked like an accountant at his most intimidating, but the man could be more tenacious than a terrier with a bone.

Gibbs cocked his head. "Jeez Tobias, all I asked was that you put some resources into our search. Didn't need you to show up."

"So this is no longer a priority then," Fornell said as he took off his overcoat and slung it on top of a filing cabinet.

"Didn't say that."

"Truth is that I'm at loose ends."

"Come on. You should be at Toys-R-Us standing in line. You got a daughter to shop for."

"Did it all online two weeks ago. They even send it gift wrapped these days. Besides, I don't have Emily for Christmas this year."

"You always have her Christmas Eve."

"Diane and Victor are taking her to Aspen for the holidays. They're at the airport now."

"Well, that sucks."

Fornell shrugged. "What could I do? I should force the issue so she can spend three hours with her old man on Christmas Eve? She was way too excited. Victor's going to teach her how to ski."

"So I'm guessing you're here because you need a dragon to slay."

"Either that or I sit at home drinking scotch and pushing pins into my Victor doll."

"Everyone's looking for these kids. What can you offer?"

"No offense, Jethro, but we do the manhunt thing better than you do. And we don't have a lot of time. We got a blizzard starting some time after midnight. If we don't find them quick, the weather is going to cripple the search for at least a couple of days."

"Boss!" McGee came jogging into the bullpen followed by Tony and Ziva. He dropped into his chair and attacked his keyboard. "Willie Beckett turned on his cell for a call. Wasn't on for long, but I think Abby and I got a fix. Give me a minute…Give me a minute…"

"Hurry up, McTurtle!" DiNozzo said as he paced in front of McGee's desk.

"Okay…here it is. Bellecourt's Motel outside of Norfolk!"

Gibbs grabbed his coat. "Let's go!"

"Damn!" Fornell said as he followed them into the elevator.

Gibbs patted him on the shoulder as the elevator door closed. "What can I say, Tobias? You might be better at the manhunt thing, but you don't have a McGee."

…

They split up at the motel. Gibbs and Fornell went to the front office and got the room number while McGee covered the front and Ziva and Tony covered the back of the broken down motel. Gibbs came out and handed the key to room 106 over to McGee, and then he and Fornell got into position.

McGee thought about Tony's advice to be relaxed and act bored as he walked along the sidewalk. He was wearing a light jacket and jeans, and dressed like that, he didn't remind anyone much of a federal agent. Just as he got to the door, a pickup pulled into the motel lot and drove past McGee slowly. He could feel the driver's eyes on him, and so he deliberately walked past 106, and stopped at 110. He fumbled through his pockets as if looking for a lost key. By this time, the pickup had stopped in the middle of the parking lot. The man in the truck was bent over something, and McGee felt his heart in his throat as he struggled to stay cool. He made a sideways glance in Gibbs' direction hoping for a signal, but the boss was out of sight.

McGee was pantomiming an attempt to open room 110 with the key for 106 when the door to 106 burst open and a man ran out. McGee dropped the key and pulled his Sig from his waistband yelling, "Federal agent, get down on the ground!"

The man ran toward the pickup, but the driver had already gunned the motor and squealed out of the lot. Then there were voices yelling everywhere. Fornell ran out to the middle of the lot barking orders into the phone about the escaping vehicle. Gibbs was shouting for Ziva and Tony to give chase to the man on foot while he ran for his own car. McGee saw a small head peek out of the door to 106. He knew without orders that his job was going to be to secure the children.

Gibbs and Fornell squealed out of the lot while Ziva and Tony disappeared into the wooded area behind the motel. McGee approached 106 carefully. The small head turned his direction and dark eyes widened when they saw his gun. McGee let his gun hand go limp and he crouched. "Are you Scotty?"

The boy nodded.

"Is your brother and sister in the room with you?"

The boy nodded again.

"Any other adults in there?"

He shook his head solemnly.

"My name is Tim. I was sent by your mother to look for you."

The boy's eyes were fixed on the weapon. "Are you going to shoot my dad?"

McGee shook his head. "Nope. Just want to make sure you're safe."

Despite the boy's discomfort, he didn't holster the weapon. He went to the boy, put a hand on his shoulder, and steered him back into the room. It was dimly lit, and it smelled stale and old like rooms did when there was little ventilation. The bedspread on one of the beds was messed, and cartoons blared on the TV. Tim leaned over, "Turn off the TV, Scotty."

The little boy went for the remote and shut off the TV. Then there was no sound at all and no sign of anyone. "Where are Ellie and Eddie?"

"In the bathroom."

McGee turned and locked the door to the room and then sat Scotty on the bed. "Wait here while I bring them out."

He eased the door open slowly, still unsure that there were only children in the room. The shower curtain was pulled across the tub, but McGee could detect whispers. He holstered his gun finally, and stepped up to the curtain. "It's okay, kids. Your mom sent me to help you."

He pulled the curtain back slowly and saw two small children huddled together in the bottom of the tub. The little boy was lying on top of his sister. McGee knelt. "My name is Tim."

The little boy clutched his sister more tightly and she moaned beneath him. McGee reached in and pulled him off her. "It's okay, Eddie. Everything is going to be okay."

The little boy squirmed out of his grasp, and ran out of the bathroom. McGee reached in to pick up Ellie, but she let out a deep, low keening sound when he touched her. He pulled back.

"She's sick."

He turned to find Scotty standing there.

"She was with Grandma when Daddy hurt her, and it made her sick. All she does is cry and moan. She won't talk at all."

"She's just really scared, Scotty."

"Is Grandma going to be okay?"

McGee swallowed. "We'll talk about that in a little bit. I'm going to pick up Ellie now because she needs to know that she's safe. It's okay if she cries. Okay?"

Scotty nodded.

McGee gently picked her up and she started wailing. He pulled her in tightly and stood up. Then he walked back into the bedroom rocking her gently. Over and over, he softly told her it would be okay and that her mommy was coming. The two little boys sat on the bed and watched him attempt to sooth her. Finally he nodded to Scotty, "You can turn on the TV again."

The boy eagerly scrambled for the remote, and the two boys huddled together on the bed watched SpongeBob while McGee held Ellie in the corner and gently rubbed her back while she sobbed.

…..

Tony herded Willie Beckett out of the elevator, one hand on the man's shoulder and the other gripping his cuffed hands. The man stumbled, and Tony pulled him upright. He looked over his shoulder. "You gotta' be careful, Man."

"I gotta' be careful?! I got to be careful?! I spend half an hour chasing you through the woods; my shoes are ruined, I got scratches everywhere, I got bruises on my knees, and you want me to be careful. You got some nerve."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Shut up!" Tony said propelling him forward. Barking erupted and he jumped back.

Abby grabbed Jethro before he could advance and sat him between her legs. Jackson Gibbs chuckled. "Don't like dogs, Tony?"

Tony glared at the animal. "I like 'em just fine. However, this one has no sense of humor."

Jethro let out a rumble from deep in his throat.

"You should be nice to Jethro," Abby advised.

"He should leave the past in the past. You tie one balloon to an animal and he never forgets it."

Ducky strolled in. "Are the children here yet? Jethro wanted me to look them over."

"There's nothing wrong with them!" Willie Beckett said with a scowl. "My brother would never hurt his kids."

"You are an idiot," Tony said rolling his eyes. "I got to get him out of here. The kids are coming up in the next elevator."

At that moment, the elevator sounded and Tony yanked on Beckett pulling him toward the interrogation room. Gibbs came out carrying one boy and holding the other boy's hand. Ziva had everyone's pack, and then McGee emerged with a little girl tightly gripping him around the neck.

"Hey Dad, you shouldn't have come down. I won't be able to leave for hours."

"Abby told me you found the kids. I figured I'd bring some snacks for them. A lot of young mothers came to my store. I know what the little ones like to eat these days."

"That's nice, Dad." Gibbs leaned over and handed him a little boy. "This is Eddie. He was just telling me in the car how hungry he was."

The little boy settled into Jackson's lap while he pulled crackers and fruit bites out of a grocery bag. Gibbs tried to urge Scotty to join him, but the older boy was focused on his sister. "When is my mom coming? Ellie is sick."

Ducky touched the little girl's flushed forehead. "She does seem warm, but I think this might be more a case of shock than flu." He tried to pull her off McGee, but she let out a high-pitched scream.

McGee shook his head. "Better leave her, Ducky. She's still pretty scared."

Ducky looked her over. "She's going to need some fluids. I have some Pedialyte that I can bring up. Do you think you could get her to drink?"

"I'll try," he said as he sat down with the little girl. She buried her face in his neck. He looked over at Gibbs. "I can't be of much help right now."

"Just keep her feeling safe. We'll take care of the rest."

Jethro sniffed at the little girl for a moment, and then lay down at his owner's feet. Abby stood and watched McGee and the little girl for a long moment. She chewed at her bottom lip. "I wish I could help."

"I know, Abs," McGee said softly. "My little friend here isn't giving me a lot of options. We still need to track Scott Beckett. I'm going to need you to do what I usually do. Okay?"

"Tim's right. Fornell and I lost him, but we have lots of evidence to process."

Abby sighed. "Okay. I get it. I'm going, but if there's anything…"

Gibbs nodded. "Abs, remember you got a plane to catch. Pass off the evidence to another lab rat and get going. Have a good holiday."

She trotted over, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she leaned over and kissed Jackson. She looked at McGee, but his new friend was resting peacefully so she blew him a kiss, and then headed back to the lab.

Scotty looked up at Gibbs. "How's Grandma? Is she at the hospital? We should probably go see her. I know she's pretty worried."

Gibbs leaned over and searched the 7 year-old's face. The boy still carried a lot of fear, but he was determined to take care of his family the best he knew how.

Eddie patted Jackson's shirt, shaking his head. "My daddy was mean to Grandma."

Before Gibbs had a chance to respond, Vance walked into the bullpen. "Seeing these kids safe is a welcome sight. Good work!"

Gibbs met his eyes, and he could tell Vance had heard the boy's question. "Scotty here needs some good news."

Vance nodded. "I just got off the phone with your mother, Scotty. She's on a flight right now to Wiesbaden, Germany. She should be on a plane to D.C. in a few hours. How does Christmas with Mom sound?"

"Mommy!" Eddie crowed, spraying a mouth full of animal crackers.

Gibbs put his hand on Scotty's shoulder and noticed how the little body seemed to relax at the news of his mother's return. McGee leaned over Ellie. "Did you hear that, Honey? Your mom is coming."

The little girl only clutched him more tightly and McGee rubbed her back gently.

Vance surveyed the group. "We have a problem. If we put these kids into foster care, their mother might not get here in time to get them out before ever the courts close down for the holidays. With the storm coming, there's a good chance her flight will be delayed."

Gibbs sighed. "Christmas Eve is a Friday. Courts shut down early. They'll be in care and she won't be able to see her kids until Monday. Can they make an exception?"

Vance shook his head. "Courts don't make exceptions especially not on a holiday."

"We'll take 'em, Director," Jackson offered.

"Dad! We're on a case."

"You told me on the phone that Tobias was going to handle the manhunt," Jackson said and then nodded at McGee. "Besides, that little girl isn't going to want to deal with another stranger."

Vance looked at Gibbs. "What do you say? The mom should be here in about 18 hours."

"Come on, Jethro. You have a basement full of wooden toys. We'll have fun."

Gibbs sighed and then nodded at Vance. "Let the Chief Petty Officer know her children will be at my house."

Vance smiled. "I'll get on the phone with her right now."

Scotty tugged on Gibbs' arm, his face pinched with worry. "I'm worried about my grandma."

Gibbs touched the little boy's cheek. "Let's you and I take a walk, Scotty."

McGee watched as Gibbs took the boy's hand and led him out of the bullpen. "The boss is really good with kids."

Jackson smiled. "You should've seen him with Kelly. My son was the best dad I ever knew."

…

McGee sat on Gibbs' old couch and gave Ellie sips of Pedialyte. It had taken most of an hour for her to drink down a glassful. The house was filled with activity around him. Jackson Gibbs had a car full of groceries, and before they could be put away, there was the matter of making the kids comfortable. Toys were brought up from the basement after Jackson complained that kids didn't like dark, dingy basements. Pillows and blankets were pulled out of closets and set up in the spare bedroom and in the living room for guests, big and small. While people worked around her, Ziva stayed on the phone with Fornell regarding the latest on the manhunt for Scott Beckett.

McGee was no longer distressed that the little girl who clung to him was keeping him from doing his work. As the hours passed, he thought less about the case and more about bringing her back to life. He wondered what he'd done to deserve her trust. The few times he'd suggested that someone else take her, she'd stiffened and started to tremble. He'd come to accept that he was the temporary answer to her trauma, and he took that responsibility very seriously.

Gibbs knelt in front of the fireplace putting in kindling for a fire while Scotty sat nearby and watched. He'd been quiet since Gibbs had told him the truth about his grandmother. He seemed to understand that his siblings were too young to process the information, but it left him carrying a burden far too large for a boy of seven years. Eddie had two of Gibbs' wooden train cars in his hands, and he'd discovered Jethro the dog. The patient animal lay on his side while the little boy ran one of Gibbs' wooden trucks through his thick fur muttering to himself about how that they were 'in the jungle'.

Tony came in, rubbing his cold hands together. "Got all the groceries squared away, no thanks to you, McLazy."

McGee looked up. "Can you find some of those goldfish crackers? Eddie says she likes them."

"It's like you don't even register my insults."

"Mr. Gibbs knows where they are." McGee said as he brought a cup up to Ellie's mouth again.

"Tony," Gibbs said. "After you take care of that, you and Ziva can take off. The snow is starting to fall. You should probably head straight to the airport before it gets bad."

"Case isn't over, Boss."

"Fornell is in charge of the manhunt. Nothing left to do here but sit with these kids until their mother arrives."

Ziva got off the phone. "They haven't found him, Gibbs. He may still be a threat."

Gibbs shook his head. "Earlier today, I told you that there would be other Christmases. That was a stupid thing to say. Family is important, and we can't count on everything staying the same. Today was a good example of this. Go. Be with your families."

Tony looked at Ziva.

"Seriously, I mean it. Go. You have a chance to be with your families. Play a little Texas Hold 'Em for me, Tony."

Tony chuckled. "That's not really Monaco, Boss, but I'll play a hand of Baccarat for you."

"You're sure, Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"We'll be fine. Right, Tim?"

McGee nodded as Tony tossed him a box of crackers. "Boss is right. We're good."

The little girl picked a goldfish cracker off his palm, and stuffed it in her mouth. McGee smiled. "See."

Ziva shook her head. "I still think this is where we should be."

Tony took her arm. "Ziva, if you don't get on that plane, your father is going to send a team to kidnap you. Gibbs is right. Let's go."

Ziva ran over, kissed Gibbs and then McGee. "Please have a good time. Laugh. Have fun."

Seconds later, the front door slammed and the only sounds were that of a roaring fire. Scotty got up, walked over to McGee, and put his hand on Ellie's leg. "Do you want to come play with Eddie and me?"

Ellie shook her head and clutched McGee's shirt tightly.

"Why are you mad at me, Ellie?"

She buried her face in McGee's chest. Gibbs stood. "Ellie's not mad at you."

"But she won't play with us. She'd mad at me because I let Daddy hurt Grandma."

He knelt beside the boy. "Not true. She just wants to feel safe, Scotty. She needs an adult to protect her until your mom gets here."

Scotty looked at McGee. "You can only have her until my mom comes."

"I understand."

The little boy reluctantly stepped away and joined Eddie on the floor as the boy ran trucks back and forth across Jethro's fur.

….

TBC….


	2. Chapter 2

17

17

A/N: Here is the other half of my NFA SeSa story for Ladyofnite. More mayhem as the team closes in on the holiday. Let me know what you think. Sheila

**Broken Down Cowboys with Cranberry Sweet Dreams**

Chapter 2

An hour later, Gibbs and Jackson looked up at the creaking sounds on the stairs. McGee was carefully descending from the 2nd floor.

"Kids asleep?"

McGee nodded.

"It took awhile to get her to let go, didn't it?"

McGee sat in a chair near the fire. "Never experienced anything like that before."

"She felt safe with you, Tim."

"Why?"

"You're a very gentle man." Gibbs took a long draw off his beer.

McGee made a face.

"Tim, that is no kind of insult. You were gentle and patient with her and she needed that. You're going to make a good father some day real soon," Jackson added.

McGee looked down at his hands clasped in his lap.

"Listen to that wind out there. Looked out the window a few minutes ago and the snow's really starting to fall."

McGee glanced at the window anxiously. "I hope the Chief Petty Officer's flight doesn't get delayed."

Gibbs studied McGee. "You lied about your Christmas plans."

He sighed. "It was easier than burdening people with my family problems."

"I know you talk to your father only when you have to."

Jackson frowned. "That's not good, Tim. Family is important."

"It's complicated."

"Now you sound like Leroy. He made that excuse for far too long. We didn't talk for almost fifteen years."

"Mr. Gibbs, was your son a big disappointment to you?"

Jackson screwed up his face. "Never!"

"Well as far as my father is concerned, I am a big disappointment, and he's not afraid to say so. When I spend time with him, I have to hear about it a lot, and I don't fight back. I've never learned how to fight with him. I guess I always thought it was easier to just avoid him."

Gibbs leaned forward. "You are a well-respected and talented law enforcement agent."

"I'm the son of an admiral who was the son of an admiral. I sit at the same desk I've had for the last nine years. I do not have an office. I supervise no one. And I am not married. As far as my father is concerned, I've wasted my potential."

"Tim, you know that you do really important work, and you save lives. There isn't a MCRT in NCIS that wouldn't kill to have you on their team. Fornell would give his right arm to have you at the FBI."

McGee blushed. "That's nice, Boss. Thanks for saying that. The truth is that it's easier for me to believe that when I don't spend a lot of time with him."

"That's sad," Jackson said.

He shrugged. "I've started overtures. I'd like to think that I'm getting strong enough to not let it bother me. I'm just not ready yet for a whole week with the admiral."

"You are strong enough, Tim, and you need to start showing him that you are your own man," said Gibbs.

Tim's mouth twitched. "You're right."

"That's your dad, Tim. Don't wait too long. It's a shame how long Leroy and I waited."

McGee nodded, his eyes lost in the burning embers. Suddenly, there was the sound of little feet on stairs. Ellie dragging a blanket behind her made it down the stairs and ran to McGee, climbing into his lap. Her breath was coming in short bursts and she was flushed, but she said nothing as she laid her head on his chest. Without a word, McGee pulled the blanket up around her, and held her tightly.

Gibbs exchanged looks with his father. The storm blew hard against the windowpane while each of them got lost in their thoughts.

…

Donnie Armstrong had been a morgue technician for the last ten years. Night shifts were his job, but he wanted more. Always had, but the only time the old Scot ever saw him was the ten minutes every morning when their shifts overlapped. Mallard barely looked at him sometimes. When he did, he was usually dissatisfied with the work he saw. Most days, he came in, mumbled hello, and then engrossed himself in files Donnie put out for him. And whatever attention he did give was to that beanpole of an assistant, Palmer.

The phone rang and it surprised him. He never heard from anyone in the middle of the night. If there was a body, the call went straight to Dr. Mallard. Donnie picked it up, "NCIS Morgue…I am a certified morgue attendant…Yes, Louisa Garza's body is here…I believe the Chief Petty Officer will be flying in sometimes this morning…You're the Petty Officer's brother? I don't have any information about that in the file…You're driving in from Kentucky? Dude, the roads really suck out there...technically, I can't tell you where the kids are…You have their Christmas gifts? That's nice. Poor little things have had a hard time…Okay, I'm not supposed to do this, but I overheard Dr. Mallard on the phone with Special Agent Gibbs. I think the kids went home with him…I don't know his address, but he lives close. Seems to be here within 10 minutes whenever there's a callout…Give me your number. I'll call the front desk guy and get back to you."

Donnie got off the phone and smiled. Mallard couldn't get mad at him for helping an uncle get Christmas gifts to deserving kids.

…..

DiNozzo blinked his eyes open and stared into the face of Ziva David. It took him a moment to place himself, and he jerked himself upright. "I thought your flight left."

She pointed at the window. "Look at the snow! They are down to one runway. My flight was cancelled."

Tony got up and squinted into the swirling white fury outside. He looked for a clock. It said 6:15 a.m. He scratched absently at the back of his head while he stretched.

"Your flight, on the other hand, is not cancelled and will be boarding soon. I figured it was time to get you on your feet."

"What are you going to do?"

Ziva sighed as she looked around the crowded airport. Stranded travelers were milling everywhere. "I will wait a few hours until the snow dies down. Then there is the Chief Petty Officer. Her flight is due in four hours. I think I will wait for her, and make sure she gets to Gibbs' house. It will be so good for those poor children to see their mother."

Tony slumped back into his chair. "My flight will probably get cancelled too. I think I'll wait with you."

She dragged him to his feet. "Nonsense! Your father is waiting for you. If you can get out of here, go!"

"You sure?"

She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Take pictures. I want to see everything when you get back."

He walked off slowly, turning at one point to see her struggling to find a comfortable position to rest her head on the back of the plastic chair. He'd been looking forward to a week in Monaco. The old man had come into some good luck and was promising fine food, liquor, and a handful of chips for the craps table. Tony needed a distraction like this. Dealing with dead bodies, interrogating lying scumbags, and comforting weepy families could wear on the strongest of men, and the thought of a week of unbridled hedonism seemed well-deserved. There would be women; tall, leggy women with perfect teeth and throaty laughs who would appreciate his charm and good looks. These women would be nothing like the fierce little Israeli with the deep desert eyes. Tony closed his eyes and shook his head. There were moments when it was impossible to dislodge her from his consciousness, but it wasn't just her. It was also the teammate with the pasty skin and computer brain and the granite-faced Marine who carried a thousand secrets. They annoyed him, ignored him, and refused to recognize his brilliance, but he loved them all in a way he hadn't experienced since he lost his mother.

He couldn't turn around. She would never allow that. She would fuss and push until he was in his seat and on his way to sunny Monaco. He'd resigned himself to a week of sun, fun, and excess in a faraway land when he heard a commotion to his left. There was a tall, dark haired woman with pigtails talking with a large family at one of the domestic gates. A smile slowly spread across his face. He should've known better than to be surprised. After all, this was the season of miracles.

…

"What do you mean, you gave Gibbs' address to the deceased's son?! Mrs. Garza didn't have a son, you idiot! Didn't you check her file?!...I don't want to hear it, Donnie. This is a big screw up. If it wasn't for this blizzard, I would come down myself and give you a real piece of my mind!….What do I want you to do? It's too late. You've already done it! You will have to double shift today because no one can get in to relieve you. I, on the other hand, have to get on the phone with the FBI and make sure that Scott Beckett doesn't kidnap his children again!"

…

She stayed close to him while he flipped pancakes in the kitchen. He tried to be careful where he stepped because she was always there, solemn and serious. She had again resisted her brothers' efforts to engage her in play. He scooped up three cakes and slid them on a plate before pouring three more. He looked down. "Do you want more juice?"

She shook her head and gripped the seam on his jeans.

"Your mommy's coming home today."

She took a deep breath and looked up at him, but still she said nothing. He stared back at her for a long moment, then reached down and swung her up into his arms. "Let's get your brothers in here. We can all have some pancakes."

She wrinkled her nose and he cocked his head. "You don't like pancakes? I thought it was statistically impossible for a kid not to like pancakes."

Her brown eyes stared into his.

He narrowed his eyes. "I think you're telling me a story. I think you love pancakes but you just feel like being contrary today."

She touched his face. "Butter. No syrup."

It was the first sound of her voice and he grinned. "Well, we can arrange that, Miss Ellie."

One edge of her mouth curled up tentatively.

He kissed her on the cheek. "That's a good girl!"

"You're a natural, Tim."

Tim startled and turned to see Gibbs in the doorway. "Morning Boss. Hear anything from Fornell?"

"Cell phone reception is funny. Phone keeps ringing but I can't hear anything on the other end."

"It's the wind playing hell with the cell towers."

"Yeah, I figured."

"Ready to eat?"

"Dad is getting the boys. They're playing with the dog in the living room."

Jackson appeared with a cup of coffee in one hand and herding the boys in with another. "Smells good. How about I start another batch while you all sit down and eat?"

…

Ziva felt the coat being draped over her and her Mossad instincts kicked in as her eyes flew open and she felt for her weapon. A familiar laugh sounded and she found herself staring into Abby Scuito's sparkling green eyes. "Abby! You left last night!"

Abby sat down next to her. "That got all screwed up. See, there was this nice lady who was trying to get to Louisiana to see her mother for Christmas but she was on standby, and so I gave her my seat because her mother's sciatica is acting up and she hasn't seen her in three years. Then I waited all night for another flight, but then there was this family who needed one more ticket for their little boy because the dumb airline said he was too old to sit on his mother's lap, and so here I am."

"Sorry Abs," Ziva said as she peered up at the clock. "It's just you and me now. Tony's flight took off an hour ago."

Abby shook her head. "Yup, but he wasn't on it. He found me on the way to his gate, and insisted on helping me get a refund from the airline which I could've handled myself easily, and then he acted all surprised when his flight left without him."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Where is he?"

"Finding coffee and breakfast for us."

She shook her head. "He should be with his father."

Abby took her hand. "Don't be too hard on him, Ziva. Let's pretend he didn't have a choice. I think he couldn't leave because we couldn't leave. It's the weird and wonderful code that he lives by, and we can't help but love him for it. Besides, he already bought a ticket for Senior to come and stay for a week in January."

"He's an enormous child."

"I think that's my favorite part about him." Abby said and then she clapped her hands. "I can't wait for the Chief Petty Officer to get here so we can take her to Gibbs'. It's going to be a great reunion!"

Ziva squeezed her hand. "He is not the only one I know with the sweetness of a child."

She couldn't help but smile when she spotted him coming toward them, balancing a tray of coffees and Caf-Pow in one hand and three large bakery bags in another.

…

Scotty Beckett perched on the back of the couch and watched the heavy snow swirl around the picture window. He turned. "Can I go out and shovel?"

Gibbs looked up. "Too early for that, Scotty. We have about 6 more inches of snow coming."

"Please!"

"There's really no point."

"Leroy, the boy wants to go outside and play in the storm. You used to do that all the time when you were a boy," said Jackson getting up out of his chair. "I'll go with you, Scotty."

"Dad, you are not shoveling. A man your age-"

"Hah! A man my age! What do you know?! Who do you think clears my driveway after every snowstorm?"

Gibbs frowned. "You're getting too old for that, Dad. You could have a heart attack."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "There's nothing like a good snowstorm for an old man's health. I love 'em. Scotty, you and I are going to grab a shovel from the garage and you can work on the driveway all you want."

The little boy leapt off the couch and followed him to the back door. Gibbs shook his head. For a few minutes after the back door slammed shut, he listened to the wind and watched the snow dance in the wind. The dog lay on the floor beside him and he leaned over every few minutes to scratch his ears. In the dining room, he could hear McGee patiently supervise Eddie and Ellie as they painted toys. From the sound of things, McGee had given up trying to talk Eddie out of using the muddy, purple brown color he'd created by mixing all the paints together.

The fire was dying down, and so Gibbs leaned over and shoved another piece of wood in the embers. He settled back in the chair watching the flame rise again. It felt nice to have people in the house with him. Most days, he could convince himself that he preferred solitude, but the truth was that it was good to pass the time with friends and family.

The dog's ears twitched and he got to his feet. A noise came from deep in his throat and the hair on his back rose. Gibbs leaned forward. Then the phone sounded in the other room and he heard McGee pick it up. "Hello? Hello? Is that you, Fornell? ...You're breaking up…What?!...Seriously?!...Got it!"

Gibbs was on his feet before McGee could hang up. With the kids in the house, he'd kept all their guns in the lockbox on the bookcase. He headed for it immediately.

McGee appeared. "Boss, Beckett got your home address a couple of hours ago. Where are your dad and Scotty?"

Gibbs handed him a gun. "Get the little ones upstairs. I'll get the other two."

McGee holstered his gun, appeared seconds later with a child under each arm, and headed for the stairs. Gibbs sidled up next to the window, gun drawn, and looked out. Through the heavy snow, he could see the shovel stuck in a drift, but he couldn't see his dad or Scotty. The dog was now barking wildly and scratching at the door. Gibbs opened the door, but kept the dog inside. He slipped out onto the porch, and scanned the driveway. "Dad! Dad!"

Initially, there was no response, but then a man pulled Jack out from around the side of the house, a gun pointed at his head. Little Scotty followed behind him.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. Put your gun down now!"

The man shook his head. "I just want my kids, Gibbs!"

He shook his head. "Not going to happen, Beckett!"

"I'm a good father and they are my children!"

"You killed their grandmother and terrorized them!"

"It was an accident!"

"Let him go, Beckett!"

"No way! You got two minutes to get my babies out here or he dies!"

"Daddy! I'll go with you!" Scotty said as he pulled on his dad's coat. "Leave Eddie and Ellie here. They're too scared!"

Beckett looked down. "Scotty, you go in there and get your brother and your sister."

"No Daddy!"

Gibbs nodded at the little boy. "Scotty, do what your dad says! Go inside and get Ellie and Eddie."

….

McGee shut the two little ones in a closet despite Ellie's cries. Boss needed backup, but going out the front door was too predictable. McGee had no love for heights, but he knew how to swallow fear when necessary. He pulled open a bedroom window and slid onto the roof. The wind and the snow made it difficult for him to navigate the slant of the roof, but all that mattered was that he was on Gibbs' six. He successfully maneuvered around the top of the roof and spotted Beckett and Jackson Gibbs below. He started to kneel so he had a better angle on Beckett when his foot lost purchase on the icy roof and he fell backward, sliding down the shingles. He splayed his long arms and hooked a stovepipe with his right elbow. The noise caught everyone's attention and they looked up to see him dangling, legs off the edge of the roof, holding on with one arm wrapped precariously around a stovepipe, and desperately trying to aim his gun with his other. He howled, "Federal agent! Drop your weapon!"

Beckett squinted up at him through the snow, and it was the right moment for Gibbs to take a shot, but it meant that Scotty would have to witness the killing of another family member in as many days. Scotty made the deciding move when he opened the front door, and the frustrated German Shepherd bounded past him and launched himself at Beckett. It was one too many surprises for the desperate man, and in his panic, he dropped the gun in an effort to defend himself. Jackson elbowed him in the gut, and the Gibbs was there to pull him out from under the barking animal. He turned him over roughly, and cuffed his wrists together.

"Boss!"

Gibbs blinked through the heavy snow at McGee still hanging from the roof. "Good work, McGee!"

"How do I get down!?"

Gibbs looked at Jackson. "What do you think, Dad?"

The strain on the stovepipe solved the problem as it snapped off, launching him off the roof and onto the snow packed ground beside them with a loud thump. Gibbs kept one foot on Beckett's back while he regarded the young man groaning on the ground. "Did you know he was afraid of heights, Dad?"

"You don't say."

"Oh yeah, but that didn't stop him. You can always count on McGee to have your back when you need him."

"Owww!"

Jackson knelt beside him. "Just lay there, Tim. You'll feel right as rain in a minute. This nice snow is a good cushion for ya'."

McGee lifted his face out of the snow, spitting out a mouthful of the white stuff, and then Jethro was there, sniffing him thoroughly before licking his face.

Spinning wheels sounded and Gibbs looked down the street. "I think the cavalry has arrived."

Within seconds, FBI agents had descended on the yard, securing Beckett as if they'd been the ones to take him down. Fornell followed them in an overcoat and a woolen cap.

"Glad you could make it, Tobias."

"Well, we chased bad leads most of the night. Ducky only got the message through to us in the last hour."

Gibbs watched as the agents pushed Beckett into the car. "He was persistent. I'll say that for him."

Fornell looked down at McGee who was gingerly testing his limbs. "Making snow angels down there, are you?"

"Jethro!"

Gibbs looked up to see Ducky waving at him from the car. "You had time to get Ducky?"

Fornell shrugged. "He was on the way. Hey, I got a car full of food. Stopped at one of my favorite places a few hours ago, and they had a big holiday dinner with all the fixin's they couldn't use because of the storm so they packed it up and put it in the car. Why don't you help me carry it in?"

Gibbs' eyes were on a forlorn Scotty who stood on the porch and watched a van driving away with his father handcuffed in the back. "Sorry Tobias, I got to go talk to a friend."

Ducky stomped through the snow. "Merry Christmas! Hello Jackson! Timothy, what are you doing in the snow?"

"He fell off the roof!" Jackson exclaimed as he reached down to offer McGee a hand.

"Oh dear! Are you hurt, Timothy?" Ducky reached out to take McGee's other arm.

McGee moaned. "Just get me in the house. We got two scared little kids in a closet upstairs."

Fornell threw up his hands. "Hey people! I got a car full of food."

…..

"Leroy, you should see what Tobias brought us! We have a roast turkey, a ham, brussel sprouts, green beans, cranberries, potatoes, dressing, cakes…everything you can think of for a holiday meal! He really saved us!" Jackson turned without a response and headed back into the kitchen.

Gibbs was sitting on the couch with his arm around Scotty as the little boy sipped on a hot chocolate. He looked up at Fornell who was standing at the picture window watching the snow with a mug of coffee. "So, you're the hero then?"

Tobias smirked as he took a sip. "I guess so."

"I thought maybe it was Spiderman over there," he said pointing at McGee who was reclining on the couch with a swollen knee propped up on a pillow.

Fornell's eyebrows rose. "From what I heard, the German Shepherd was the one who took him down."

McGee reached down and scratched Jethro's head. "My boy gets a turkey dinner today."

Scotty looked up at Gibbs. "My daddy going to be okay?"

Gibbs nodded. "He's safe now, but he's going to be in jail for awhile."

The little boy sighed and leaned in against Gibbs. McGee exchanged looks with his boss. It'd had been a lot of weight for the 7 year old to carry over the last couple of days. The twins, on the other hand, were none the wiser about their dad's presence. Ellie saw the whole episode as a rather abrupt game of hide and seek. She'd been disappointed when her new friend came back with a bad leg and she devised a game of doctor, feeding McGee M&M's as pills. Eddie responded to this game by performing a series of grisly amputations of the offending limb with a wooden ruler Gibbs found for him.

Fornell shook his head as he looked out on the blowing snow. "Crazy Marines!"

Gibbs stood up and saw a caravan of two Marine support vehicles moving slowly down the street. He grinned. "They weren't going to let a little blizzard get in the way of a mom getting home to her kids on Christmas."

He pulled Scotty off the couch and pointed at the military vehicles. "Your mom is in one of those."

The kid squirreled out of his arms and ran for the door. He ran out without a coat, but no one said anything. A dark haired petite woman in a Navy uniform stumbled out of the lead vehicle and the boy ran into her arms. Fornell grinned madly and patted Gibbs on the back. "This is what it's all about."

Ducky and Jackson came in from the kitchen to watch the reunion. Eddie stopped sawing on McGee's thigh, and Ellie put a small hand on his chest and stared into his face. He smiled. "Your mom's here."

Fornell pointed at the second vehicle. "Look at the refugees they brought along."

Gibbs shook his head, smiling. "I had a feeling nobody was going to end up on a plane."

The front door flung open, and the snowy Chief Petty Officer came in, Scotty under one arm. Tony, Abby, and Ziva followed behind. Ellie and Eddie squealed and ran to her, and soon she was on the floor under a pile of small bodies. McGee eased himself off the couch so he could get a better look. It was a nice moment with tears and laughing. Still, they all knew that this family had a lot of healing ahead of them.

Tony noticed McGee leaning on one leg and came over. "What happened to you?"

Jethro raised his head and growled.

Tony frowned. "Knock it off, mutt."

"Be nice," Tim said, "Jethro caught a murderer today."

"Huh?"

Gibbs glanced over. "McGee's right. The dog's a hero. You're going to have to learn to be friends with him."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, and be nice to McGee too. He fell off the roof trying to make an arrest. Impressive stuff," Gibbs said before returning his attention to the family reunion.

Tony frowned. "What were you doing on the roof?!"

McGee leaned over. "It was 'impressive stuff', Tony. Let that echo in your head for the next six months."

Tony rolled his eyes.

"Earlier, he called me Spiderman."

"Shut up, McGee."

Jackson stepped forward and helped Chief Petty Officer Beckett to her feet. "Sure nice to meet you. You have beautiful children. You're welcome to join us for a nice meal. We have some toys for the kids."

She smiled through tears. "Thank you so much for your help."

"So you'll stay for some turkey then?"

CPO Beckett bit her lip and looked down at her kids. Ziva shook her head. "The base rallied together, and they have a place for the Chief Petty Officer and her kids until it's okay to go home. They've stocked it with food and toys and everything they're going to need. There's a group of Navy wives waiting for them as we speak."

"I wish we could stay," she said as she tried to peel Eddie off her thigh.

Gibbs nodded. "You need time alone with your children. It's good. We won't hold you up."

McGee teetered on his good leg, and Tony reached over and steadied him. Scotty ran up, hugging Gibbs. "Thank you."

He closed his eyes until the child let go. Eddie circled the room hugging everyone, but saving the best for Jethro the dog whom he smothered with his small body. The old shepherd groaned but lay quietly while the boy squeezed him.

Ellie stayed in her mother's arms, hugging her tightly around the neck. McGee thought about hobbling over and saying good-bye to the little girl but he didn't move. She was where she was supposed to be, and he didn't want to disturb her.

CPO Beckett got coats on everyone and hustled them out the door. McGee sighed deeply, and began to lower himself back onto the couch when the front door opened again, and CPO Beckett came back in with Ellie. The little girl pointed at McGee. Beckett came over and nodded at her daughter. "Tell him what you told me."

Ellie reached out a mittened hand and patted his face. "I'm going to marry you when I grow up."

His eyebrows rose and everyone laughed. Beckett smiled. "She only ever wants to marry her favorite people. The last person she wanted to marry was Troy Hanson because he wore dinosaur shirts to preschool. You are in a very select group, my friend."

McGee smiled and leaned over, kissing her cheek. "I'll be waiting for you, Ellie."

She hugged her mom tightly around the neck, and he watched as she disappeared out the door again.

Tony patted his back. "Probie, I haven't seen you this whipped since the day you met Abby with 'mom' freshly tattooed on your ass."

….

"Well, you see Ziva, the weather started getting rough and the tiny ship was rocked. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost."

She narrowed her eyes at him across the table. "So you are saying that these seven individuals were on a three hour cruise and they got shipwrecked, and the Coast Guard never found them?"

"Exactly."

"But they couldn't have gotten too far on a three hour cruise."

He nodded as he passed the brussel sprouts to Gibbs. "Even more puzzling was how over packed they were for this three hour cruise. They had books and clothes and scientific equipment. Mary Ann was able to make cream pies on a daily basis without an oven or any discernible source of dairy. Are we to believe that she brought baking supplies on a three hour tour?"

"You have an alternate theory?" Ziva asked as she regarded the cranberries on her plate suspiciously.

"Nope and it doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is the ultimate Gilligan's Island question. Are you Ginger or Mary Ann?"

"I am neither." Ziva noted that Gibbs ate his cranberries with turkey and she maneuvered her turkey closer to the red berries.

"Easy question. She is totally Ginger," Abby said as she reached for more potatoes.

"I don't know. I have always maintained that Mary Ann was a smoldering vixen under those gingham dresses. Plus, she was dark-haired and petite just like Ziva."

"You listen to this everyday, Leroy?" Jackson said.

Gibbs shrugged. "It's just white noise to me now. A simple cranial correction is all that's needed to reset DiNozzo's brain. You're close enough. Give it a try."

Tony raised an eyebrow and scrapped his chair away from Jackson. "Hey Tim, what's your position? Is Ziva Mary Ann or Ginger?"

"Huh?" Tim looked up from the food he wasn't eating.

Ducky frowned. "Timothy, is the pain bothering you again? I can give you another vicodin."

"No, I'm good."

"You've been quiet ever since we got here."

"Where does he have room to say anything with you yammering on all the time, Tony?" Ziva said as she gingerly tasted the cranberries and turkey. A smile spread across her face and she spread more cranberries on her turkey.

Fornell looked at Gibbs. "I think I recognize the look on his face. I suspect Tim has stumbled on a very deep emotion and he's trying to make sense of it."

Gibbs nodded. "I felt the same thing the first time I held Kelly in my arms at the hospital."

Fornell shook his head. "It took me a few weeks to really feel it. I was too afraid of her when she was that tiny."

Tim furrowed his brows. "I only knew her for two days."

"But she needed you completely in that time. You kept her safe and you nurtured her. It's very much the experience of being a parent."

"I always wanted kids, but I had no idea how powerful it can feel. And then I look at my life, the hours I work, and that fact that I haven't had a serious relationship in a very long time, and I realize that I'll probably never…have this in my life."

"Never say never, Tim. I didn't become a father until I was 46 years old," Fornell offered.

"McGee is right," Tony said. "Look at us. We're all a bunch of broken down cowboys sitting at the boss' table on Christmas Eve. None of us have any prospects for families. Fornell here is the only one with a kid."

Everyone got silent for a moment at the truth of it. Then Abby set her mouth. "I don't care! I like cowboys."

Ducky sighed. "I used to dream of being a cowboy. Sleeping under the stars. Living by your wits."

Jackson nodded. "I don't think the lot of ya' think nearly enough about how your work keeps people safe, and helps them be with their families and take care of their young-uns. I say the world needs more broken down cowboys."

"There's a reason I only watch cowboy shows," Gibbs said as he raised his glass. "Here's to being a broken down cowboy!"

Everyone lifted glasses. "Cheers!"

Ziva reached over and grasped Tim's hand. "Don't give up on dreams of family. I have a feeling it will happen for you just as I hope it will happen for me and Tony and Abby. Keep those sweet dreams. In the meantime, let's be happy that we are with our cowboy family today and that I have discovered the sweetness of cranberries."

Abby raised her glass. "Here's to broken down cowboys with cranberry sweet dreams!"

Everyone laughed and lifted their glasses in cheer.

Fornell turned to Gibbs. "What are we going to do for the rest of the evening? We could drink ourselves into oblivion, but that seems all too predictable."

"I got 50 wooden toys that still need assembling and 75 that need painting."

Tony winced. "Isn't it a little late for Christmas?"

"Nope. If we work all night, we deliver them to the base in time for annual Christmas morning brunch and we'll be fine. We might even be able to stop at the Chief Petty Officer's temporary quarters to say hello."

McGee blushed and Tony slapped him on the back, laughing.

Gibbs clapped his hands together. "Okay, Fornell, Abby, and I are on construction. McGee, Ziva, and Tony are painting. Dad, you and Duck put the food away and find some Christmas music on the radio. Maybe spike a little eggnog with some bourbon. Nothing says that broken down cowboys can't have a merry old Christmas."

…

The End


End file.
